I served as Li Bai's page.

I went to the wine shop next door, entered a private room, and saw five young men drinking heartily, and they even had a young lady play the zither and sing.

Li Bai hadn't enjoyed such a life in a long time, and his poetic inspiration surged. He would sing along with the girls' zither music, then draw his sword and dance, indulging in unrestrained revelry fueled by the alcohol. After a drinking session, all five of them were completely drunk. Having paid the bill, I had no choice but to ask the waiter to help me take them back to the inn next door.

The next morning, I heard a knock on the door. I got up and opened the door, and Li Bai was standing in front of me with three young men I had just met.

"Yuehua, thank you so much for taking us back to the inn and even paying for the drinks," said Young Master Meng.

"Young Master Meng, there's no need to be so polite. It's the same whether you pay or we pay, as long as we're happy drinking," I said.

"I told them it didn't matter who paid, but they insisted on dragging me here to thank you," Li Bai said.

"Everyone's up. Shouldn't we head to Xiangyang?" I said.

"Alright, let's pack up and head home." Young Master Meng said as he walked towards their room.

After checking out of our rooms, we arrived at the streets of Jiangling. Young Master Meng rented two carriages. He and his two friends rode in one carriage, while Li Bai, Wu Zhinan, and I rode in the other, heading towards Xiangyang City.

It was already noon when we arrived in Xiangyang. Young Master Meng led us to a large house. We got off the carriage and looked up. In the center of the gate were the two characters "Meng Mansion". Two stone lions squatted in front of the gate, one on each side. Above the gate was a tall gate tower with upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters. It was clearly the home of a wealthy family.

Li Bai immediately understood and asked, "Young Master Meng, it's probably inappropriate for us to disturb your residence so abruptly. Perhaps we should go to an inn instead."

"It is our honor that Brother Taibai has graced our humble abode. Please do not refuse, let us go." After saying this, Young Master Meng went to knock on the door of the Meng residence.

A moment later, footsteps were heard, and the door creaked open, revealing an elderly man walking out.

"Uncle Zhang, I'm back," said Young Master Meng.

"Young Master is back!" Uncle Zhang called out.

Many people came out of the Meng residence, including Master Meng and Madam Meng.

Young Master Meng introduced us all to the Meng family. When Master Meng and Madam Meng heard that Li Bai had arrived, they were very pleased: "It is an honor for my son to be friends with you. Your poetry and prose are unmatched. Even his uncle, Meng Haoran, is inferior to you." After saying this, they took Li Bai's hand and walked towards the inner courtyard.

Whether master or servant, the Meng family treated us like honored guests. Li Bai expressed to Master Meng his desire to visit Meng Haoran at Mount Lumen, and Master Meng immediately promised to send us there the next day.

Two carriages from the Meng family carried us toward Lumen Mountain. The first thing that caught our eye was a magnificent archway, with two sika deer sitting in the center, welcoming the guests coming and going. Passing through the archway, we soon arrived at Lumen Temple, where pilgrims came in an endless stream, and incense smoke swirled within the temple.

After we got off the carriage, we went into the temple to kneel and pray, and then walked towards the place where Meng Haoran lived in seclusion.

In April, Mount Lumen is covered with countless wildflowers, its forests dense, and streams babbling. Walking west from Lumen Temple, we rounded a bend in the mountain valley and came upon a farmhouse nestled among peach and pear blossoms on a flat plain at the foot of the mountain. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it was enclosed by a bamboo wall in front. Beyond the wall lay a pond filled with water lilies, its banks lined with budding roses. Inside the courtyard, a middle-aged man sat engrossed in reading a book.

"Uncle!" Young Master Meng called out loudly as he walked down the mountain.

The man looked up at the mountain, put the book on the stool, and walked towards us.

We arrived at the foot of the mountain, and Young Master Meng embraced the man tightly: "Uncle, it's been so long! Look how many guests I've brought. They all love your poetry."

At this moment, Li Bai came out and recited: "Spring slumber is so sweet, I don't notice the dawn; everywhere I hear birds singing. The moon shines, the wind and rain rage; how many flowers have fallen, I wonder?"

Meng Haoran looked intently at Li Bai: "This young master is elegant and handsome, with an extraordinary bearing. May I ask how you are addressed?"

"I am Li Bai, a man from Qinglian. I have long admired the name of Master Meng. It is truly an honor to meet you today," Li Bai said, bowing with his hands clasped in greeting.

Upon hearing that it was Li Bai, Meng Haoran immediately grabbed Li Bai's hand, examining it from left to right, and said, "Are you really the Li Bai who wrote: 'Even Confucius feared the younger generation, and a man should not underestimate the young'?"

"I am but a humble scholar, and I have made you laugh at me," Li Bai said modestly.

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be so young. Come on, everyone, please come in and sit down." Meng Haoran held Li Bai's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.

Upon entering the living room, everyone sat down in turn, and Young Master Meng introduced us to Meng Haoran one by one. We then exchanged pleasantries with each other.

Young Master Lin, who was with Young Master Meng, took out the poem he had written and said, "Please give me your guidance, Mr. Meng." He then handed over the poem.

Meng Haoran took the poem and read it carefully. He commented and corrected as he read, finally exclaiming, "Young people today are so quick-witted; their thinking is much broader than ours was back then." After finishing, he returned the poem to Lin Gongzi. Then he turned to Li Bai and said, "Qinglian Jushi, let us admire your work."

I took out poems from my backpack, including "Ode to the Stone Ox," "Song of the Moon over Mount Emei," "To Li Yong," and "Staying Overnight at the Foot of Mount Wu," and placed them on the table. I also took out "Imitation of the Ode of Regret" and "Ode to the Great Roc" and placed them on the chair. Meng Haoran was captivated by each poem he read, praising them endlessly. The others were also amazed.

They started discussing the word choice and imagery in Li Bai's poetry. Having nothing else to do, and seeing that it was almost noon, I said, "Mr. Meng, you two continue your discussion. I'll go cook, okay?"

"Great! I was just worried about who would cook. Young man, go ahead. Find whatever you want to cook. There's rice and flour in the jar, and vegetables in the soil. Do what you think is best," Meng Haoran said.

I took a walk around Meng Haoran's farmhouse. It was a courtyard house in the style of a traditional Chinese courtyard. Just inside the gate was the main hall, which was the living room where we had just been. From the living room, there was a rectangular courtyard with good natural light. In the center of the courtyard was a flower bed with a peach tree in the middle, which was full of flowers, looking beautiful and delicate. It was surrounded by roses and Chinese roses, which were full of flower buds.

On either side of the courtyard are side rooms, two rooms on each side. One side is Meng Haoran's bedroom, and the other side is a guest room. Behind the courtyard are two connected rooms, filled with calligraphy and paintings by famous people, and a row of huge bookshelves storing scrolls of books. A desk is placed horizontally in the center of the room, with paper, brushes, ink, and inkstones neatly arranged on it, making me think that if a poet were to be inspired, he could pick up his pen and write a poem in one stroke.

I came out of the house and into the courtyard. Looking at the farmhouse, it was rectangular and nestled at the foot of the mountain. In addition to the main house, there were two connected side rooms on the left. I went inside and took a look; one was the kitchen and the other was the dining room.

Passing by the two houses, we came to the back, where there was a cave almost the size of a room, surrounded by a bamboo fence, where several chickens and ducks were kept. In front was a row of farmland, where some vegetables were planted.

After reading this, I roughly know what kind of food I should cook.